Binaural Beats for Tinnitus: What the Research Shows
Binaural beats do not treat tinnitus. Two small studies have tested them, a proof-of-concept study in 20 adults and a four-week randomised trial in 30 men, both adding 8 Hz Alpha beats to a natural sound. Sound helped some people in both, but neither found that the beats worked better than the same sound alone. The approaches with the strongest recommendation in the clinical guideline are a hearing aid evaluation when there is hearing loss and cognitive behavioral therapy; sound therapy is an option.
Why sound is used for tinnitus at all
Tinnitus, the perception of sound without an external source, involves a peripheral component (changes in the ear) and a central one (how the brain processes and attends to the signal). Much of the distress it causes depends on the central part: whether the brain treats the tinnitus as important and keeps attention on it. The neurophysiological model behind Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (Jastreboff and Hazell, 2004, Cambridge University Press) holds that steady background sound can help the brain habituate to the signal.
That is the rationale for sound therapy in general. It has not been shown that binaural beats add anything to a pleasant, steady sound, and the brain-entrainment idea behind them is disputed: a 2023 systematic review of 14 EEG studies found five results in line with it, eight that contradicted it and one mixed result (Ingendoh et al., 2023, PLOS ONE).
The setup that has actually been tested
Both studies layered 8 Hz Alpha beats under a natural sound (ocean waves or sea-wave music) and compared it with the same sound alone. In both, the sound helped and the beats added no clear benefit. If you try binaural beats for tinnitus, this is the only setup with data behind it, and it should be treated as an optional extra, not as a therapy.
A cautious way to try it
Nature sound with or without 8 Hz beats through headphones, 15 minutes, twice a day. This is the schedule used in the four-week trial (Bakhtarikia et al., 2024). Keep the volume below the level of your tinnitus, audible but not prominent, and try the same sound without beats too, to see whether the beats change anything for you.
Tinnitus often seems louder in a quiet bedroom. A low, steady nature sound from a bedside speaker gives the ear something else to listen to. Through a speaker there are no binaural beats, only the sound, and that is the form of sound therapy the guideline mentions.
Rate loudness and annoyance from 0 to 10 once a day, as the trial did with visual scales. Any change from habituation takes weeks, so judge after four weeks, not after one session.
What the research shows
Munro and Searchfield (2019), proof of concept
Twenty adults with constant tinnitus and symmetrical hearing listened to ocean waves with and without 8 Hz binaural beats. Small improvements in tinnitus ratings occurred with sound, and some individuals improved more with the beats. The authors report no significant group benefit from adding the beats to the ocean sound.
Bakhtarikia et al. (2024), randomised trial
Thirty men (average age about 46) with chronic tinnitus and mild to moderate hearing loss were randomised to relaxing music with sea waves, or the same music plus 8 Hz binaural beats, for 15 minutes twice a day over four weeks. Loudness, annoyance and Tinnitus Handicap Inventory scores improved in both groups. At follow-up the beats group scored lower on two subscales, but the authors state that the study did not demonstrate that adding beats was better, and call for longer studies.
Clinical guideline and Cochrane reviews
The guideline for persistent, bothersome tinnitus recommends educating patients, a hearing aid evaluation when hearing loss is documented, and cognitive behavioral therapy, and lists sound therapy as an option. Phillips and McFerran (2010, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews) found one low-quality trial of 123 people in which Tinnitus Retraining Therapy worked better than tinnitus masking. A Cochrane review of sound therapy (Sereda et al., 2018, summarised by Brennan-Jones et al., 2020, International Journal of Audiology) covered eight trials with 590 participants: hearing aids and sound generators may reduce tinnitus severity in some people, but the evidence is insufficient to say which is better or whether they beat placebo.
So the honest summary is that sound can help some people with tinnitus, binaural beats have not been shown to add to it, and the treatments with the strongest professional support are hearing care and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Important notes
- Tinnitus has multiple causes. Tinnitus in one ear only, tinnitus that pulses with your heartbeat, or tinnitus that comes with hearing loss, dizziness or sudden changes needs a medical assessment before any self-management approach. The guideline advises a prompt audiologic examination for tinnitus that is unilateral, lasts six months or longer, or comes with hearing difficulties.
- Keep session volume low. High volumes can worsen tinnitus and damage hearing.
- Binaural beats are not a cure for tinnitus. If tinnitus is significantly affecting your quality of life, an audiologist or ENT doctor who treats tinnitus is the right first step.
- Stereo headphones are required for the binaural effect.
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Common questions
Do binaural beats help with tinnitus?
Binaural beats do not treat tinnitus. Two small studies have tested them, a proof-of-concept study in 20 adults and a four-week randomised trial in 30 men, both adding 8 Hz Alpha beats to a natural sound. Sound helped some people in both, but neither found that the beats worked better than the same sound alone. The approaches with the strongest recommendation in the clinical guideline are a hearing aid evaluation when there is hearing loss and cognitive behavioral therapy; sound therapy is an option.
Are there studies on binaural beats and tinnitus?
Yes, two small ones. Munro and Searchfield (2019) tested ocean sound with and without 8 Hz binaural beats in 20 adults and found no significant group benefit from adding the beats. Bakhtarikia et al. (2024) randomised 30 men with chronic tinnitus to relaxing sea-wave music with or without 8 Hz beats for four weeks. Both groups improved, and the authors could not show that the beats were better.
What does the medical guideline recommend for tinnitus?
The 2014 American guideline for persistent, bothersome tinnitus (six months or longer) recommends a hearing aid evaluation when there is documented hearing loss and cognitive behavioral therapy, and says clinicians may recommend sound therapy. It recommends against antidepressants, anticonvulsants, anxiolytics, intratympanic medications, dietary supplements such as Ginkgo biloba, melatonin or zinc, and transcranial magnetic stimulation for routine treatment.
Do I need headphones for binaural beats?
Yes, stereo headphones or earbuds are required. A binaural beat exists only when each ear hears a slightly different tone. Through a room speaker the beat disappears and only the sound itself remains, which is still a form of sound therapy but not a binaural one.